Fetish Con '08: Bringing the pain back to Tampa

Click for a gallery from the 2007 Fetish Con.

Tampa may never get an Olympics or a major political convention. But by gum, it’s still got Fetish Con.

For the fifth straight year, Fetish Con, a celebration of all things kink-tacular, is expected to draw more than 2,000 randy conventioneers to downtown Tampa for a series of workshops, parties and leather-clad networking. It’s billed as the largest adult fetish gathering on the East Coast.

Among this year’s sexy, sexy highlights:

• Seminars on wax play, mummification, body casting, pillories and straitjackets, cupping (applying large suction cups to the skin), polyamory, Gorean slave dancing and “How to Meet the Dominant Person of Your Dreams.”
• A demonstration called “Household Sadism,” full of tricks on how to save money on BDSM gear now that the economy’s in the toilet. “What we don’t realize is that the best 'affordable’ BDSM gear is sometimes found at home or designed for home use!” the Fetish Con event schedule says. So true.
• Appearances by models RubberDoll, Velvet Slave, Mizz Fluffy, Mr. Anthropic, JezebelTempting, JoJo Suicide, Bloodbunny, Above Average Arthur, Ghettobutt ... honestly, we could go on all day. The names are just fantastic.
• And, for the first time, a fully equipped dungeon space with “full-time dungeon masters as well as ambient music and lighting.” (Because really, it’s the ambient lighting that makes your dungeon pop. That’s what Paige Davis always says.)

If you work in downtown Tampa, keep an eye out for street-walking conventioneers bound in rubber and plastic. Please say hi and welcome them back to our fair city.

And swing by the Hyatt on your lunch break Friday — you may end up staying all weekend.

The scoop on this year’s ceremonies:
Where: The Hyatt Regency Tampa, 211 N Tampa St., Tampa.
When: Pre-registrees may check in from 10 a.m. to 11 p.m. Thursday; there is a meet and greet party from 6 to 11 p.m. On Friday and Saturday, the registration desk opens at 11 a.m., and the show runs from noon to 8 p.m. On Sunday, the desk opens at 10 a.m. and the show runs from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.
How much: Single-day passes are available for $25, cash only.
After parties: There are two. The first, a military-themed Vamps & Vixens Ball, starts at 10 p.m. Friday at the Hyatt. Admission is $10 with a Fetish Con badge, $15 without. The second is the Fetish Con Fantasy Masquerade Ball, starting at 10 p.m. Saturday. Admission is $10 with a badge, $15 without. And there will be a host of unofficial Fetish Con parties in Ybor City and elsewhere throughout the weekend.
For more info: fetishcon.com

- By Jay Cridlin, Times staff writer. Photo by Luis Santana/tbt* (2007)

Comments

[Patrick]

Whyyyyyy?

[Sgt Joe Spankmeister]

Welcome back. Can't wait!!!!

[Rubber isnt just a fashion accessory :p]

and just what desease will Mizz Fluffy be modeling this year may i ask?

[Antoinette]

EW WHY? Some people are just sick and can't think of better things to do with there time. NASTY!!!

[Antionette]

I just came here to judge what other people like to do.

[Get real]

That's just great! Now sick perverts and ho's have some where to go for a day.What's next? "Who wants to be a porn star game show. I'm sure that coming soon !!

As an alternative I guess they could spend the day making up phrases and trying to throw a rubber ball through a mounted hoop.

[Cat]

Amazing how people judge.

Get over it folks. It's not like they will be out and about, whipping quasi-normal people like yourselves into submission.

To each their own.

[Kustom Kunt]

Freakin' Awesome!

[Kat-tastic]

Yay! Now all I need to do is go find my whips and chains and I shall be able to dominate you all!!!!!!! :)

[Tim]

Hey "GET REAL"; there already is a porn star game show. Its called Jennas Next Great American Porn Star, and it airs on Playboy TV

[Jimmy J]

Cat....go back to the closet, close the door and dont come back out. Dont bring this filth to my town!

Sick Freak!

[Clark]

Utterly harmless activities enjoyed by consenting adults?!?
Ahhhh! Run! Hide! Voice displeasure!

[Lorelei]

HEELLLLLOOOOO
They had this convention here last year! If your not into this stuff then DON'T GO. Otherwise to each his own. There are conventions (CONS) going on around the world on a daily basis, that doesn't make the people who go to them freaks. They all get together to share a common interest. Get over yourselves.........prudes.

[kumar]

mizz fluffy? ewwwww. shes thee nastiest girl ever. she might look pretty, but shes been around. and around. and around. its a hotdog in a hallway and feels like a starfish.

[Sinfonian]

"Cat....go back to the closet, close the door and dont come back out. Dont bring this filth to my town!

Sick Freak!"

Remember, the people who protest the most about what others do in the privacy of their own homes and bedrooms are the people who fall the farthest when they get caught doing exactly what they complain about the most.

In other words, Republicans. (See, e.g., Larry Craig, Mark Foley, Bob Allen, David Vitter, etc.)

Of course, if they got over their repressions and were able to be honest with themselves about their desires and needs, then they wouldn't be Republicans ....

[Joyce G.]

First time to downtown Tampa, there for Women of Faith convention, our group stayed at the Hyatt Regency not knowing of the convention. Was quite offended by the Fetish Cons, shocked that the Hyatt and the City of Tampa would want to project this image.

[Sandy S]

If you're offended by such things, what brings you here? There's no shame in being curious and there's no shame in activities between consensual adults; however, there is shame in harshly judging others.

[Hiheels]

To the lady from Women of Faith - My husband and I attended Fetishcon ( 35 years married) and spoke to many of the ladies of the faith convention - everyone wanted pictures of us dressed or huggin my husband - many sat in the bar drinking beer, wine and cocktails so get off your high horse. A women of faith.

[Shadowfax]

Actually, the Women of Faith were made WELL AWARE of the Fetish Con convention (which had booked into the Hyatt first and was occupying most of the hotel) ahead of time. Rather than pick a different location they elected to stay at the Hyatt. If they had problems it was of their own doing. Many of the WoF were quite nice and actually had fun taking photos of (and often WITH) the fetish folks. As for the rest, don't cry here, don't complain to the Hyatt and don't blame the City of Tampa for wanting to host a lucrative event (that keeps to itself!) in the middle of the off-season. Complain to the people on your own staff who booked you into the Hyatt knowing about the Fetish Con's presence. See you next year, folks!